Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Mazda Mazda3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On Multiple occasions the Power Steering goes out and warning light on dash comes on. Very hard to steer without the PS on. This has happened on highways as well as in town in traffic. Sometimes it comes back in a few seconds on its own. Other times the car must be turned off and restarted, if you can get to a safe place. No codes appear when checked.
Power Steering sometimes works and sometimes not. Can go out and stop working or start working, in the middle of driving. i noticed Mazda has a recall for 2007, 2008, 2009 Mazda 3 cars, but* 2010 Mazda 3. I suspect the same issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mazda 3. While driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle collided into a street sign and fractured the passenger side mirror. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering angle sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,310.
We purchased a 2010 Mazda3 in 2017. Right after purchasing this vehicle started having power steering issues. The car would loose power steering interminetly so the repair shops were not able to diagnose the problem. My daughter had moved to washinton state and after living there a couple of months the power steering pump failed. We had the car towed to a repair shop and they confirmed it was the power steering pump. This repair was very expensive with the pump alone being around $1000 totaling $1500 after being installed. Now we are a year and a half later and guess what light has came on again....the power steering light. I have contacted the repair shop and Mazda which have both told me the warranty is 12 months/12,000 miles. Really? For a $1000 pump and risking my life? Not only once but twice? Once this vehicles power steering is disabled it is very hard to steer. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mazda 3. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shut off and the power steering and oil indicators illuminated. The vehicle was able to be steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was inspected by an mechanic, but no failure was found. The contact was referred to compass motors (200 dolson ave, middletown, ny 10940, [phone]), but they refused to assist. The contact stated that the service manager yelled at her while she was attempting to schedule a service appointment. The contact called the manufacturer who then contacted the dealer. The dealer claimed to have done nothing wrong and promised to have the owner of the dealer call her back. The contact had not received a call back and traded in the vehicle because she was too scared to drive the old vehicle. The failure mileage was 8,220. …
Car failed to start. Mazda sent tow truck. Tow truck operator was able to start the car in neutral. Tow truck operator declined to tow the car and sent driver home. Later that day the wheel locked, power brakes failed and driver rolled into a ditch. Driver turned off ignition, unlocked steering wheel, backed car out of ditch and called Mazda for another tow. The consumer stated the day of delivery, the salesman had trouble starting the car and requested a technician make some adjustment to the ignition. The wheel locked and the key would not start the vehicle. After the adjustments, the vehicle appeared to work fine. The dealer stated the vehicle would not start because a cable was bent, which was prohibiting the vehicle from being recognized in park when attempting to start it. Updated ivoq 08/19/10 updated ivoq 08/20/10
My daughter recently purchased a used 2010 Mazda 3. In the last 3 weeks her power steering light illuminates intermittently and her power steering then does not work. The majority of the time the car is stationary and she has noticed if she turns the car off and restarts it several times her power steering starts to work again. The vehicle is very hard to control when this happens while driving and I am very concerned with this because she weights 80 lbs. We have had the vehicle at the shop on three different occasions to resolve the issue but with it doing it intermittently the shops cannot identify the specific cause. Two different shops believe it is the power steering pump. I have read up on this issue and am aware of the recalls but 2010's are not included.
Steering wheel, at any speed, moves slightly from side to side causing it to be crooked. Alignments and balancing has not solved the problem. The wheel is loose in steering and increasingly scary since it is slightly crooked and can be very hard to keep the car from over steering even when driving straight on a perfectly paved road. I'm afraid the steering pump is corroding. Please investigate as newer models and Mazda in Japan had a major recall for this very issue. Please do a us recall as it's definitely a safety issue and very unpredictable especially on curvy or bumpy roads.
While I was making a exit from the freeway onto a local road, I lost control of the steering wheel while slowly braking. Afterwards my car spun out of control and I was in a head on collision with the guard rail for the highway ramp. This happened with my car logging close to 21500 miles. Inspection at the body shop determined that issues between the brake pads and steering wheel LED to the steering wheel stopping. Fixing this problem involves replacing brake and possibly steering components according to the body shop.
Loss of steering control on my 2010 Mazda 3 resulting in accident. Also the brakes did not operate as designed. While turning a corner the vehicle steering wheel locked and/or loss steering control , brakes were applied, vehicle begin to stop but before stopping, it turned and ran off the road causing damage to vehicle and property. This was confirmed by driver, 2 passengers and the police. This was the first time this happened. Not sure what is wrong with vehicle. Damaged being repaired at this time.
Steering complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2010 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the steering of the 2010 Mazda Mazda3, 5% of the model year's 686 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Mazda Mazda3 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2010 Mazda Mazda3, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Mazda Mazda3 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.